Merrideth Flynn
Merrideth Flynn is the illegitimate daughter of Lord Henry Cassel II and his mistress, Lady Mary Flynn of Andorhal. A former courtesan and servant of Victoriea Holfmann, she became the official mistress of King Darion Blackmorn of Wolf's Crossing in 621 K.C. Merrideth was part of a secret, four-way marriage between Blackmorn, Holfmann, and Saidan Madarin in 622 K.C. The four of them were wed in a pagan ceremony, held in the Black Forest of Wolf's Crossing. Appearance A classic, full-figured beauty with pale, green eyes and a sultry look about her, Merrideth was among the most sought after courtesans in Stormwind. Her crimson hair is smooth as spun silk and reaches well past her shoulders, nicely framing a slender face and accenting soft, pale skin, dotted with freckles. Tall and exquisitely well-endowed, her clothing need not be tailored to accentuate her ample bosom. Her ears are double pierced and on a slender chain around her neck, hangs a silver wolf's head pendant with eyes of emerald, clutching a silver ring. She favors expensive gowns of silk and samite, often in shades of green or other dark colors. Well-spoken and generally pleasant in demeanor, on the rare occasion that she is provoked to anger, her temper can be as fiery as her hair. History Early Years As the only daughter of Lady Mary Flynn, Merrideth received a good education and was brought up to be a proper young lady. Sadly, her birth was the product of aldultery and her father never saw fit to recognize her as his own, leaving her to be raised entirely by her mother. Though they would never see one another, Merrideth had contact with her father during her childhood through the letters and presents he would send on each of her birthdays. Merrideth grew up in close proximity to the city of Andorhal and would spend much of her childhood traveling between the Flynn estate and the Whitehall Barony of Eastvale, where her Uncle, Sir Thomas Flynn Commanded the Garrison at Eastwatch Keep. At the age of twelve, she would visit Eastwatch for the last time to attend Sir Thomas' funeral after he was slain in battle. Tragedy Her mother's death remains shrouded in mystery. Some say that Lady Mary was murdered by a rival house, while others claim that she took her own life. What is known is that her body was discovered floating in the river near Andorhal. With no male heir to the house of Flynn and her mother yet unmarried, her family's estate was taken over by the house of Whitehall, who lay claim to it through a marriage nearly a century before she was born. Merrideth was forced to leave the comfortable life she was accustomed to at the age of only fourteen. Life as a courtesan Like many others after the fall of Lordaeron, Merrideth traveled to the Southern Kingdom of Stormwind with the hope that she might find a better life for herself. Stormwind was not the grand place she had thought it to be and after a month, the young lady found herself serving drinks at one of its many taverns. There, she was introduced to the owner of a house of ill repute who had taken a liking to her and would spend the next decade making her living as a courtesan. Favored by wealthy merchants and Nobles alike, by the age of three-and-twenty, she had men from other Kingdoms asking for her by name. Her employer was a ruthless man who exploited her as he had countless others, and Merrideth saw only a meager portion of the coin she had earned during those years. Like most of the women who shared in her profession, Merrideth lived in constant fear of her employer. A New Beginning At seven-and-twenty, she fled the Kingdom of Stormwind after a heated argument with the brothel's owner, during which she was said to have stabbed him in the belly with his own dagger. Though he had hired men to pursue her, Merrideth made her way to Thelsemar and met Victoriea Holfmann, who was gathering free riders on her way to the fortress of Dragon's Landing. She and Holfmann spoke at length of her past and after just a day, it was agreed that she would accompany the Crimson Hart back to Dragon's Landing and remain there under Holfmann's protection. Though she continued to offer her services to many of the free riders who resided there, it was Holfmann that insisted she need not do so and after more than a decade of having to resort to such things to make her way in life, Merrideth's life began to change for the better. The Wolf and the Phoenix After Lady Holfmann began a relationship with Darion Blackmorn, Merrideth resided with the two of them for some time. She and Blackmorn became very close and shortly after he and Victoriea were married, Flynn became his official mistress--an arrangement that Victoriea not only allowed, but encouraged. In spite of her illegitimate birth and her past as a courtesan, she was treated as well as any Noble born woman and has often taken Victoriea's place when she could not be at her husband's side. Though many might suspect otherwise, her truest loyalty lies with Victoriea, whose generosity she sees as the very reason for her good fortune and the comfortable life she then lived. During Victoriea's brief separation from her husband, Merrideth returned with her and the children to Dragon's Landing out of loyalty. Currently Merrideth's present whereabouts are unknown. She fled Wolf's Crossing after Darion Blackmorn's trail, and has not been seen since. It is suspected that she may have fled to Rosegarde, seeking shelter with the Blackvales. Category:Characters Category:House of Flynn Category:House of Blackmorn Category:Lordaeron Human Category:Courtesans